Christmas can be the most wonderful time of the year, this doesn't ring true when it comes to the environment.

Figures from packaging company show that an additional 30% of rubbish is produced and discarded throughout the festive period when compared with the rest of the year.

This amounts to in the region of three million tonnes each year and is made up of:

• 54 million platefuls of food
• 500 tonnes of Christmas lights
• 8 million Christmas trees
• 108 rolls of wrapping paper
• 100 million black bags full of packaging from toys and gifts

It’s enough to make you feel queasy. But the good news is there are steps we can all take to help make Christmas a little kinder on the environment. But what will you do? If you’re looking for some inspiration on how to make this Christmas eco-friendly

• Source a sustainable Tree, then dispose of it responsibly
• Choose decorations that will last a life time
• Opt for eco friendly and fair trade gift
• Plan your Christmas dinner to minimise waste
• Avoid disposable cutlery, crockery and cups when hosting